Load shifting apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for laterally transposing a load relative to its path of travel, such as a motor vehicle, including a plate disposed atop a transversely movable carriage which is biased to a central position for simultaneously receiving laterally adjacent wheels of the load, and outwardly divergent guide rails which extend across the plate to engage the load such that the load is laterally transposed to a preselected position as it moves across the plate.

United States Patent 1 Bernardi et al.

LOAD SHIFTING APPARATUS Inventors: Donald A. Bernardi; Samuel S.

Chambers, both of Harrisburg, Pa.

Assignee:

Filed:

Bernardi Bros., Inc., Harrisburg, Pa.

Apr. 27, 1971 .Appl. No.: 137,777

US. Cl 238/4, 105/368 B, 214/38 BB Int. Cl 865g 67/02 Field of Search105/368 B; 238/10 R,

238/4, 5; 214/38 BB, 24 BB; 104/44, 1

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1965 Hurst 11/1962 238/4Grandpre 105/368 B [451 July 17,1973

2,924,389 2/1960 Anderson 238/4 3,456,879 7/1969 Ghionda 3,467,3109/1969 Fraser 238/4 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza AssistantExaminer-Richard A. Bertsch Att0mey-Brenner, OBrien, Guay & Connors [57]ABSTRACT Apparatus for laterally transposing a load relative to its pathof travel, such as a motor vehicle, including a plate disposed atop atransversely movable carriage which is biased to a central position forsimultaneously receiving laterally adjacent wheels of the load, andoutwardly divergent guide rails which extend across the plate to engagethe load such that the load is laterally transposed to a preselectedposition as it moves across the plate.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures Patonted July 17, 1973 3,746,251

2 Sheets-Shoat l INVENTORS DONALD A. BERNARDI SAMUEL S. CHAMBERS B K W 2gmu/ ATTORNEYS hunted July 17, 1913 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 DONALD A. BERNARDISAMUEL S. CHAMBERS ATTORNEYS LOAD SHIFTING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention pertains toload shifting apparatus and more particularly to such apparatus fortransposing a moving load to a preselected lateral position relative toits path of travel.

2. Description of the Prior Art A number of techniques have been devisedin the past to assist an operator in properly aligning a rolling load toa preselected lateral position. Such techniques typically employaligning markers, guide rails, and the like and have not proven to beentirely satisfactory since alignment of the load by using such devicesremains primarily dependent upon the judgement of the operator andisthus often subject to error.

The prior art is generally cognizant of apparatus for laterally aligningor transposing a rolling load independently of the steering thereof bythe operator and which have attempted to overcome the above problems.Such attempts, however, have typically resulted in devices which aremechanically complex and relatively expensive and are therefore oftencommercially unacceptable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is summarized inapparatus for laterally transposing a moving load relative to its pathof travel including a housing having an open upper end, a set ofparallel tracks in the housing, a carriage assembly including a framehaving upper and lower portions and including a set of wheels joumalledon the lower portion, a plate fixedly attached to the upper portion ofthe carriage assembly and covering the open upper end of the housing forreceiving the moving load, spaced guide members extending across thehousing and adapted to engage the moving load for laterally guiding thesame, and a pair of spaced springs each disposed between the carriageassembly and the housing and biasing the carriage assembly to a centralposition therein.

An object of the present invention is to construct a load transferapparatus having a transversely movable plate cooperating with guidemembers for laterally transposing a load to a preselected position.

The present invention has a further object in that load shiftingapparatus includes a movable carriage assembly biased to a centralposition by a pair of spaced springs.

Another object of the present invention is to construct a carriageassembly including a set of wheels which cooperate with a pair of tracksto transversely shift a moving load as it moves thereacross.

Some of the advantages of the present invention over the prior artreside in the ability to laterally align a load independently of thesteering thereof by the operator, economy of manufacture, simplicity ofinstallation and reliability in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view partly broken away of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment oftransposing apparatus according to the present invention is illustratedin FIGS. 1 through 4 and includes a generally rectangular housing 18having parallel end walls 20 and 22 interconnected with parallel sidewalls 24 and 26, respectively, the walls being bent outwardly at theirupper edges to form flanges 28, 30, 32 and 34, respectively. A set ofspaced support members 36 extend across the open lower end of housing 18parallel to side walls 24 and 26 and are preferably attached as bywelding to spaced points along the bottom edge of walls 24 and 26 of thehousing. It is noted that a flat rectangular plate extending completelyacross the bottom of housing 18 may be utilized in place of supportmembers 36 depending upon the particular installation contemplated.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, housing 18 is adapted to be recessedwithin a rectangular pit fonned in the ground 10 with flanges 28, 30, 32and 34 mounted flush with the surface. It should be understood, ofcourse, that housing 18 may be mounted in place by any suitabletechnique; for example, it may be set into a properly sized preformedconcrete pit or may be placed into a hole dug to the proper depth, afterwhich the sides of the hole may be filled in and the top surfacesuitably paved. In addition, the bottom of the pit may be slightlysloped and may include a conventional drain connection preventing thecollection of water within the housmg.

A pair of elongated spaced rods 38 and 40 having an inverted, generallyU-shaped cross-section extend across the bottom of the housing 18 inparallel alignment with side walls 24 and 26 and are fixedly attached tothe top surface of support members 36. Rods 38 and 40 support arespective one of a pair of parallel tracks 42 and 44 which are rigidlyaffixed to the top surfaces thereof as shown in FIG. 2. A pair of stops46 having a generally L-shaped cross-section are horizontally mountedwithin housing 18 and extend between side walls 24 and 26 adjacent theends of tracks 42 and 44. Stops 46 may be held in place against walls 24and 26 by any suitable means such as welding. The ends of housing 18 arecovered by a pair of flat plates 47 which are hingedly mounted to endwalls 20 and 22 to provide access to the interior of the housing afterinstallation. A pair of shims 48 are mounted atop flanges 32 and 34 ateach end of housing 18 so as to separate the distal ends of plates 47from the upper edge of stops 46 as can be seen in FIG. 4.

frame. Mounted at each of the corners of the rectangular frame is arespective one of a set of identical vertically disposed U-shaped cornerchannels 60 which laterally extend from channels 52 and 54. The carriage50 further includes two side wheel assemblies 62 and 64, each havingfirst and second wheels 66-68 and 70-72 mounted upon the ends of a shaft74-76 which is journaled through the approximate center of cornerchannels 60 in a lower portion of carriage 50 for rotation therein.Wheels 66, 68, 70 and 72 are similar in construction and are generallycylindrical with a semicircular groove running centrally around theperipheral surface thereof for cooperation with tracks 42 and 44. Wheels66, 68, 70 and 72 maintain the carriage assembly upon the tracks and, atthe same time, enable free movement of the carriage longitudinallytherealong.

A pair of compression springs 78 and 80 are mounted in opposite cornersof housing 18 between a respective upright wall of stops 46 and theupper portion of an outer flange of U-shaped corner channels 60 ofcarriage assembly 50. Springs 78 and 80 may be mounted by any suitablemeans and may each, for example, have axially projecting ends which aredisposed within suitable holes in corner channels 60 and stops 46 of thehousing, as illustrated.

A flat rectangular top plate 82 is centrally disposed atop carriageassembly 50 and is fixedly attached to an upper portion thereof by anysuitable means such as bolts, welding, or the like. The shorterdimension of top plate 82 is slightly less than the shorter innerdimension of housing 18 to provide a flush fit therewith, as can best beseen in FIG. 2, and its longer dimension is suffi ciently larger thanthe open area between stops 46 of housing 18 such that the housing isalways completely covered by the top plate.

A pair of longitudinally aligned spaced guide rails 84 and 86 extendcompletely across the shorter dimension .of housing 18 adjacent an endthereof as illustrated in FIG. 1. Each of the guide rails 84 and 86 isin the form of an inverted generally U-shaped pipe having an uprightvertical rear leg and an angularly disposed front leg interconnected bya horizontal top bar. Each rail is mounted with the front and rear legsthereof firmly supported within the ground in front of and behind thehousing 18. The horizontal bar of each guide rail is bent to form anobtuse angle in a horizontal plane adjacent its rear leg such that bothrails diverge outwardly toward the front of the housing 18 forcooperation with a side wheel of a vehicle. It should be appreciatedthat the particular construction and shape of rails 84 and 86 isdependent upon the nature of the moving load for which the apparatus isdesigned and is described herein Prior to advancement of a vehicleonto'the transposing apparatus of the present invention, carriageassembly 50 which carries top plate 82 is centrally biased by springs 78and 80 to its neutral position within housing 18 as shown in FIGS. 3 and4. Compression springs 78 and 80 permit the top plate and carriageassembly to move transversely of the vehicle path of travel and serve torapidly reposition the top plate to its neutral position after each setof wheels pass off the rear edge of the plate 82.

With the top plate 82 and carriage assembly 50 in their neutralposition, the present apparatus is ready to receive the front set oflaterally adjacent wheels of :1 vehicle. As the vehicle is driven towardthe transposing apparatus, it is approximately aligned for entry by thedriver and as it continues to move forward, will ride onto top plate 82.As the vehicle n'des onto the top plate, both front wheels will besimultaneously received thereby such that the front of the vehicle maybe laterally moved upon the track supported carriage assembly 50. If thevehicle has been properly aligned by the driver, the top plate 82 willremain in its neutral position under the biasing force exerted bysprings 78 and 80 as the vehicle moves forward, and as the front wheelsof the vehicle roll off the rear edge of top plate 82, the left frontwheel will pass between guide rails 84 and 86.

If on the other hand, the front of the vehicle is too far to the left(as visualized in FIG. 1), the left front wheel will rub against guiderail 84 as the vehicle moves across plate 82. Because of the angularconfiguration of guide rail 84, a force will be exerted on the leftwheel tending to move the front of the vehicle to the right. Since bothfront wheels of the vehicle are supported atop plate 82 at this time andsince the top plate and carriage assembly 50 are transversely movablealong for use in connection with a moving vehicle for illustrativepurposes only.

Before discussing the operation of the present invention, it isimportant to keep in mind that proper alignment of a moving load isnecessary in a number of diverse applications such as on automated orsemiautomated production lines, in connection with truck loading andunloading docks, and in conjunction with vehicle washing installations,to name but a few. In such applications, it is desirable that alignmentof the load be effectively attained on an uninterrupted basis by asimple and relatively maintenance free apparatus. While the presentinvention has a number of uses, its operation will be described hereinin connection with its use with a motor vehicle solely for purposes ofillustration.

tracks 42 and 44, the front of the vehicle as well as top plate 82 andcarriage assembly 50 will move to the right as the left wheel rubsagainst guide rail 84. In this man ner, the front of the vehicle will begradually shifted to the right as it moves forward until it is properlyaligned whereupon the front wheels will ride 011' the rear edge of plate82. i

A similar operation results if the vehicle is too far to the right as ittraverses plate 82. In that case, the left front wheel would contact andrub against the right guide rail 86 causing a force to be applied tothefront of the vehicle tending to move it and the carriage assembly to theleft as the vehicle moves forward. As be-' fore, the front of thevehicle will continue to be moved to the left upon top plate 82 andcarriage assembly 50 until it is properly aligned to the preselecteddesired position.

As the front wheels of the vehicle pass off the rear plate 82, thecarriage assembly 50 will be returned to its neutral position by springs78 and 80 whereupon the rear of the vehicle may be aligned in the samemanner as described above.

It can thus be seen that a vehicle or other moving load will be simplyand effectively shifted in a lateral direction by the apparatus of thepresent invention and that such alignment is independent of the steeringor initial direction of the load. Therefore, proper alignment of theload can be assured without having to rely upon the judgement of anoperator. As a result, vehicle washing installations, for example, whichare equipped with apparatus according to the present invention are moreattractive to the public since the vehicle driver need not be concernedwith having to properly align his vehicle, and the washing installationowner need not provide an attendant to direct or guide the vehicles tobe washed into the washing apparatus. It should be reiterated that thepresent invention is adaptable for use not only with a vehicle washinginstallation but also with truck loading docks, assembly lines, andwherever it is desired to laterally shift a moving load into aparticular alignment.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many modifications,variations and changes in detail, it is intended that all mattercontained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for laterally transposing a moving load relative to alinear path of travel comprising, in combination:

housing means having an open upper portion substantially flush with saidpath of travel and extending transversely thereto, said housing meansincluding a pair of spaced parallel side walls interconnected with apair of spaced parallel end walls to form an open rectangular enclosure,each of said walls having an integral flange on an upper edge thereofextending outwardly normal to said walls, and a plurality of spacedsupport members extending transversely under said housing means;

a pair of spaced parallel tracks fixed to said support members extendinglongitudinally of said housing means; 7

a carriage assembly including a pair of spaced side frame membersinterconnected at their ends by a pair of end frame members to form anopen rectangular box, a pair of shafts each journalled through the sideframe members at the ends thereof, a wheel mounted on each end of eachof said shafts, each said wheel having a peripheral profile adapted toengage said tracks;

a pair of stop members each fixedly attached to said housing meansadjacent a respective end of said tracks to limit movement of saidcarriage assembly therealong;

a support plate fixedly superimposed on said carriage assembly and beingdimensioned so as to be received in the open upper portion of saidhousing means in substantially flush relation with said path of travel,end edges on said support plate being spaced from the respective endwalls of said housing means to leave a space between each end edge andthe respective end wall of said housing means when said carriageassembly is substantially centered in said housing means,

a pair of cover plates disposed adjacent the end walls of said housingmeans, each cover plate being hingedly attached to the respective endwall of said housing means and normally extending thereover to coverportions of said support plate adjacent the respective end edge thereofregardless of the positioning of said carriage assembly;

guide means adapted to engage the moving load for laterally guiding thesame and including a pair of spaced guide rails fixed across saidhousing means and having an initial converging portion integral with aparallel terminal portion; and

a pair of coil springs each mounted in compression between an end ofsaid carriage assembly and the adjacent end wall of said housing means,said springsbiasing said carriage assembly to a central position in saidhousing means.

1. Apparatus for laterally transposing a moving load relative to alinear path of travel comprising, in combination: housing means havingan open upper portion substantially flush with said path of travel andextending transversely thereto, said housing means including a pair ofspaced parallel side walls interconnected with a pair of spaced parallelend walls to form an open rectangular enclosure, each of said wallshaving an integral flange on an upper edge thereof extending outwardlynormal to said walls, and a plurality of spaced support membersextending transversely under said housing means; a pair of spacedparallel tracks fixed to said support members extending longitudinallyof said housing means; a carriage assembly including a pair of spacedside frame members interconnected at theIr ends by a pair of end framemembers to form an open rectangular box, a pair of shafts eachjournalled through the side frame members at the ends thereof, a wheelmounted on each end of each of said shafts, each said wheel having aperipheral profile adapted to engage said tracks; a pair of stop memberseach fixedly attached to said housing means adjacent a respective end ofsaid tracks to limit movement of said carriage assembly therealong; asupport plate fixedly superimposed on said carriage assembly and beingdimensioned so as to be received in the open upper portion of saidhousing means in substantially flush relation with said path of travel,end edges on said support plate being spaced from the respective endwalls of said housing means to leave a space between each end edge andthe respective end wall of said housing means when said carriageassembly is substantially centered in said housing means, a pair ofcover plates disposed adjacent the end walls of said housing means, eachcover plate being hingedly attached to the respective end wall of saidhousing means and normally extending thereover to cover portions of saidsupport plate adjacent the respective end edge thereof regardless of thepositioning of said carriage assembly; guide means adapted to engage themoving load for laterally guiding the same and including a pair ofspaced guide rails fixed across said housing means and having an initialconverging portion integral with a parallel terminal portion; and a pairof coil springs each mounted in compression between an end of saidcarriage assembly and the adjacent end wall of said housing means, saidsprings biasing said carriage assembly to a central position in saidhousing means.